Foreign Policy Public Health Blog

Marijuana policy controversy continues in UK

"Some people get the giggles after using cannabis -- you may laugh at the most random things" cautions "FRANK," the UK's anti-drug website. Despite declining drug use in the country, in January the British government changed marijuana's...

Published Wed, Nov 11 2009 12:34 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Drugs & Crime, Law, Politics

Morning Brief: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to be tried in New York

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to be tried in New York Top story: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-described mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks and four of his co-defendants will be tried in a federal court in New York, according to a justice department official...

Published Fri, Nov 13 2009 6:06 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Morning Brief

Who is really responsible for Greg Craig stepping down?

Today, Greg Craig, the White House's top legal advisor, stepped down from the post he once described as his dream job. The speculation over the much-respected lawyer's resignation has been swirling for months, reaching a fever pitch back in October...

Published Fri, Nov 13 2009 9:29 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Terrorism, Law, Obama Administration, Bush's Legacy, Bush Administration

Reprieve for Berlusconi

Reuters reports that an Italian judge has delayed the resumption of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's tax fraud trial until January, at least. Why? "Pressing state business" -- that is, presiding over a U.N. summit on hunger in Rome. But...

Published Mon, Nov 16 2009 9:25 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Law

Hillary in black and white and color

Michael Crowley has an excellent article in this week's New Republic, "Reset Button," assessing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's public breaks from official U.S. policy. He runs through her out-of-line statements on Kim Jong-il's...

Published Mon, Nov 16 2009 1:21 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: State Department, Hillary

British Ambassador says British actors suck (blood)

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 British ambassador to the United States Sir Nigel Sheinwald usually writes about climate change policy and the difficulties in Afghanistan on his blog , but today he chose to write...

Published Tue, Nov 17 2009 1:47 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Europe, Culture

Sarah Palin is even crazier than I imagined

I haven't read the former Alaska governor's new book, but I see that she's already brought the crazy in an interview with ABC News . "I disagree with the Obama administration" on Israeli settlements, Palin told Barbara Walters. Fair...

Published Tue, Nov 17 2009 8:32 PM by FP Passport

Violence in Chad drives aid away

It was reported last week that attacks on and kidnappings of aid workers in Chad have caused six aid organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to suspend operations there. Undeterred, this morning the top U.N. official in...

Published Wed, Nov 18 2009 3:24 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: Disasters, Africa, Corruption, Development, Oil, International Organizations

Does Edward Snowden Really Exist?

Here's a preview of a quote you'll probably hear on this week's edition of NPR's "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me": "You know, I have serious questions about whether he really exists." Who's the speaker? Edward...

Published Wed, Jan 22 2014 5:24 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: North America, Intelligence, Barack Obama, National Security, NSA

1 in 10 Brits think David Cameron could be an alien

It's been a big week for Britain. Queen Elizabeth II is partying hard for her Diamond Jubilee, celebrating 60 years in power ; the Olympic torch is making its way across the nation; and one out of 10 Britons suspect that this may all be happening...

Published Fri, Jun 01 2012 10:30 AM by FP Passport

Has NATO given up on the Pakistan border for good?

The AP reports that NATO has inked an agreement with several Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan to allow the reverse transport of material out of Afghanistan: Since NATO already has an agreement with Russia, the deal will allow it to ship back to...

Published Mon, Jun 04 2012 9:10 AM by FP Passport

One last controversy for the Exxon Valdez

Mark Magnier has a fascinating article in today's L.A. Times on the controversy over the dismantling of the oil tanker, Oriental Nicety, better known as the Exxon Valdez, which is currently floating in limbo off the coast of Gujarat: Local environmentalists...

Published Tue, Jun 05 2012 7:38 AM by FP Passport

Are war crimes trials worth the price?

Justin Sandefur has a thought-provoking post on the Center for Global Development's blog running some numbers on the recent war crimes conviction of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, which took approximately 9 years and $250 million: The entire...

Published Wed, Jun 06 2012 1:34 PM by FP Passport

How to Skirt an Arms Embargo -- DPRK-Style!

Let's say you're the supreme leader of a pariah state. You're looking to move a few hundred tons of Soviet-era arms across international boundaries, but you've been slapped by a harsh arms embargo. You'd like to quietly transport a...

Published Tue, Mar 11 2014 5:39 PM by FP Passport

Filed under: North Korea, Diplomacy, East Asia, Military, International Relations, Trade

For Illegal Migrants, Southeast Asia is the Means, not the End

For Iranian nationals Pouri Nourmohammadi and Delavar Syed Mohammad Reza, the six-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing was just the second leg of a circuitous, illicit journey from Tehran to their respective destinations, Frankfurt and Copenhagen...

Published Thu, Mar 13 2014 10:37 AM by FP Passport

Filed under: Security, Southeast Asia, Migration/Immigration, Borders